Photo: Supplied.
The Australian Youth Water Polo Championships will make an exciting return to Brisbane from 5 to 16 January 2024. Brisbane helped launch the event in 2019; in 2024, 210 teams and 3,000 competitors, aged 12 to 18 years old, are expected to take part. The Australian Youth Water Polo Championships (AYWPC) is the largest water polo Club competition in the Southern Hemisphere and this year’s event is the biggest ever.
AYWPC’s Acting CEO, Tim Welsford, says Championships engender unity amongst the teams.
“The Australian Youth Water Polo Championships began as a way to unite the junior water polo community in Australia, and have done so ever since the first event was held in Brisbane in 2019. The event remains a fantastic way to bring teams and clubs together in a tournament environment and promote the sport of water polo.
“Keen water polo players from all over Australia and the world are attracted to the event, with hundreds competing from U12 through to U18. While they all come from different teams and backgrounds, the one thing they all have in common is their love for the sport.”
The age groups used to be run separately over different locations, but this event draws together all the competitors, who will come from across Australia, NZ and even the USA. It’s not just the competitors who will feel the adrenalin rush; Tim says that water polo is a wonderful experience for spectators.
“Water Polo is a fantastic spectator sport, known for its competitive play and close games. At the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships there is seating available for all matches, with the crowd known to be quite loud during an especially competitive rivalry match or finals game,” he says. “As an added attraction, both the Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks and Aussie Stingers (senior national teams) will be playing a three test match series to headline the event.”
As well as providing young competitors with the opportunity to compete across a wide peer group, AYWPC brings to light some first-class talent.
“Our teams compete at the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships for a variety of reasons. For some, the event gives them their first insight into major, national-level competition, while for others, this event acts as a great opportunity to continue improving their skills in the pursuit of selection to the National Age Group Program. Regardless, all teams attend the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships for the camaraderie and positive environment the event is known for.”
For more information about the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships check the website https://www.waterpoloaustralia.com.au/wpal-events/aywpc/ . Ticket sales for the Ord Minnett Sharks and Stingers tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1105209
